Domestic Violence Advocates Co-Located at DHS

105 Pages·2012·6.22 MB·English

Working Together

A Desk Guide

Domestic Violence Advocates
Co-Located at DHS

Self-Sufficiency & Child Welfare
This manual was developed with assistance from the following: 

 Annie Neal and Keri Moran‐Kuhn, Multnomah County Domestic 
Violence Coordination Office 
 Robin Selig, Oregon Law Center 
 Vanessa Timmons, Dustina Haase‐Lanier and Gabby Santos, the 
Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence 
 Jayne Downing, Executive Director, Mid‐Valley Women’s Crisis 
Service 
 Carol Krager, Cheryl O’Neill and Stephanie Hoskins, Oregon 
Department of Human Services
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTACT INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 4
STATE AND NATIONAL CONTACT LIST ........................................................................ 5
LOCAL CONTACT LIST ....................................................................................................... 6
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................................................................ 7
WHAT IS A CO-LOCATED ADVOCATE? ......................................................................... 8
BENEFITS OF COLLABORATION ..................................................................................... 8
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL ............................................................................................. 9
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM .......................................................................................... 10
GOALS ..................................................................................................................................... 12
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES............................................................................... 13
CO-LOCATED ADVOCATE SERVICES ........................................................................... 14
CLARITY OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................... 16
SURVIVOR CONFIDENTIALITY AND CO-LOCATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SERVICES ....................................................................................................................... 19
CONFIDENTIALITY AND SURVIVOR SAFETY ............................................................ 20
CONFIDENTIALITY AND COLLABORATION .............................................................. 21
CONFIDENTIALITY AND SURVIVOR SAFETY ............................................................ 22
CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-PROFIT DOMESTIC AND
SEXUAL VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS ................................................................. 24
MANDATORY CHILD ABUSE REPORTING .................................................................. 25
RELEASES OF INFORMATION AND INFORMED CONSENT.................................... 27
SUBPOENA RESPONSES ..................................................................................................... 29
FORMS .................................................................................................................................... 30
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ........... 31
OPPRESSION’S ROLE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ....................................................... 32
CULTURE’S ROLE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ............................................................. 32
INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT (ICWA) COMPLIANCE ............................................ 33
IMMIGRANTS AND NON-CITIZEN SURVIVORS ......................................................... 35
PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES ............................................................................... 36
COLLABORATION ............................................................................................................... 37
LEADERSHIP TEAM ............................................................................................................ 37
ACCOUNTABILITY STRUCTURE .................................................................................... 39
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COMMUNICATION .............................................................................................................. 40
LOGISTICAL ISSUES ........................................................................................................... 42
REFERRAL PROCESS ......................................................................................................... 44
CLIENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES ............................................................................. 46
AGENCY OVERVIEWS .................................................................................................. 47
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AGENCIES ................................... 48
CHILD WELFARE ................................................................................................................ 48
SELF-SUFFICIENCY ............................................................................................................ 49
DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................ 51
DEFINITIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ..................................................................... 52
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................................... 54
DHS WEB BASED RESOURCES AND TOOLS ................................................................ 55
DHS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES: ................................................................... 55
OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES .............................................................................................. 56
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 56
ATTACHMENTS ................................................................................................................... 57

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CONTACT INFORMATION

 STATE AND NATIONAL CONTACT LIST
 LOCAL CONTACT LIST
STATE AND NATIONAL CONTACT LIST

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DHS)
NAME PROGRAM TELEPHONE
Stephanie Hoskins Field Services / Co-located Advocates [phone]

Carol Krager Self-Sufficiency / TANF & TA-DVS [phone]
Cheryl O’Neill Child Welfare [phone]

OREGON DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE CONTACTS
Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and
www.ocadsv.org [phone]
Sexual Violence (OCADSV)
Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force www.oregonsatf.org [phone]

NATIONAL DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE CONTACTS
National Network to End Domestic Violence www.nnedv.org [phone]
(NNEDV)
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.nsvrc.org [phone]
(NSVRC)

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LOCAL CONTACT LIST

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
COUNTY BRANCH SSP/CW NAME TELEPHONE

LOCAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDER

Website:
Crisis Line:

DVSA Agency Contact Position Telephone Cell Phone

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INTRODUCTION
AND
BACKGROUND

 WHAT IS A CO-LOCATED ADVOCATE?
 BENEFITS OF COLLABORATION
 HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
 PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
 GOALS
This Desk Book is designed to give you an overview of co-located Domestic
Violence Advocacy within the Department of Human Services. If you have
any suggestions for updates, additions or revisions for this Desk Book,
please let us know!

WHAT IS A CO-LOCATED ADVOCATE?

Advocates located in DHS offices provide in-depth safety planning, DV
education, advocacy and on-going support to DV survivors. Advocates also
provide training to staff, increase staff awareness of DV issues and consult
on DV-specific issues. Co-location has been piloted in Child Welfare offices
and available as funding allowed in Self-Sufficiency offices over the last 15
years. In pilot programs where advocates were co-located in Child Welfare
offices, there was an increase in the number of children remaining in the
home of the non-offending parent. In Self-Sufficiency offices, co-located
advocates have assisted in safety planning, thus supporting a more planned
use of Temporary Assistance for Domestic Violence Survivors funds.

BENEFITS OF COLLABORATION

What is collaboration?

Collaboration requires a group of people with diverse skills,

experience and knowledge who are committed to working

towards a shared vision.

Collaboration can:

 Open lines of communication between participants

 Improve relationships

 Increase trust, knowledge and resources.
 Break down barriers between individuals and

systems, resulting in better support for families.

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HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

This manual is intended to help Co-located Domestic Violence Advocates
and the DHS partners navigate this working relationship. This manual will
help navigate some of the past challenges that Co-located Domestic and
Sexual Violence Advocates have reported:

 Clarity about the role of the DV Advocate.

 Making sure to keep the line between advocate and
caseworker clear and defined.

 The importance of “Voluntary” participation in Domestic
and Sexual Violence services.

 Mandatory child abuse reporting

Symbol used to identify when a decision, policy or practice
is determined by the local “Leadership Team”:

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